Software development engagement models set what is agreed up front, how you pay and who directs the work. Inventh offers five: fixed scope assessments, fixed scope projects, time and materials, dedicated teams, and ongoing support and advisory. Every engagement starts with a written proposal covering scope, team, timeline and cost.
The models differ in what you agree up front, how you pay and who sets priorities day to day. Most services are offered in more than one.
A fixed scope review that ends in findings, a prioritized plan and costed options.
Best for Decisions, reviews and roadmaps before you commit a larger budget.
How it works 02Agreed deliverables, timeline and price for a clearly defined piece of work.
Best for Well defined builds, MVPs, proofs of concept, strategies and design projects.
How it works 03Flexible capacity billed for the work delivered, with priorities set as you learn.
Best for Evolving products and ongoing enhancement where requirements will change.
How it works 04Engineers, QA and a delivery lead working as an extension of your own team, scaled to your roadmap.
Best for Long roadmaps, product teams and capacity your hiring cannot keep up with.
How it works 05Regular care for live systems, or regular senior advice for leadership, month after month.
Best for Live websites, apps and data platforms, search programs and part time technology leadership.
How it worksA fixed scope review that ends in findings, a prioritized plan and costed options.
Agreed deliverables, timeline and price for a clearly defined piece of work.
Flexible capacity billed for the work delivered, with priorities set as you learn.
Offered for
Engineers, QA and a delivery lead working as an extension of your own team, scaled to your roadmap.
Regular care for live systems, or regular senior advice for leadership, month after month.
| Criteria | Assessment | Fixed scope project | Time and materials | Dedicated team | Ongoing support and advisory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget certainty | High: fee agreed up front | High: price agreed up front | Moderate: depends on scope changes | High: predictable monthly cost | High: predictable monthly fee |
| Flexibility to change | Low: scope is fixed | Low: changes are agreed in writing | High | High, within the team | Moderate, within the agreed services |
| Your time needed | Interviews and reviews | Workshops, demos and sign off | Regular prioritization | Daily or weekly direction | Monthly reviews |
| Who directs the work | Our consultants | Our delivery lead | You, with our delivery lead | You | Shared |
| Typical length | A few weeks | Weeks to months, by scope | Ongoing | Ongoing | Ongoing |
Find the statement closest to where you are. The model beside it is usually the right place to start.
We need a decision, a review or a roadmap before we spend more
AssessmentWe know exactly what we need built, and the budget is fixed
Fixed scope projectWe want to test an idea with a proof of concept or an MVP
Fixed scope projectOur requirements will keep changing as we learn
Time and materialsOur roadmap is long and our hiring cannot keep up
Dedicated teamWe need one or two specialists inside our existing team
Dedicated teamOur system is live and needs care, monitoring and upgrades
Ongoing support and advisoryWe need senior technology or AI advice, but not full time
Ongoing support and advisoryThe options each service page offers, grouped by practice. Colors show the model each option follows.
AssessmentProjectTime and materialsDedicated teamOngoing
Advise
Build
AI and data
Scale
Tell us what you need. We ask about goals, constraints, timing and budget.
We recommend a service and a model, and say plainly if a simpler option will do.
Scope, team, timeline and cost in writing, before any work starts. Build work gets an itemized estimate after discovery.
A named delivery lead, a shared project board and a demo schedule agreed at the start.
Work often moves through more than one model: an assessment sets direction, a fixed scope project proves it, a dedicated team or time and materials takes it further, and ongoing support keeps it healthy. Any change of model is agreed in writing.
Source code, documentation and intellectual property created for a client transfer to that client on completion and payment.
Every engagement is covered by a confidentiality agreement, and team access to client systems is limited to the people who need it.
A named delivery lead, a shared project board and regular demos, so you always know what is done and what is next.
Clear estimates before work starts, early warning when something changes, and honest advice when a simpler or cheaper option will do.
Inventh offers five engagement models: fixed scope assessments, fixed scope projects, time and materials, dedicated teams, and ongoing support and advisory. Most services are available in more than one model.
A fixed scope project has agreed deliverables, timeline and price, which suits well defined builds and MVPs. Time and materials bills for the work delivered and lets priorities change as you learn, which suits evolving products and ongoing enhancement.
A dedicated development team is a group of software professionals who work full time on one client's projects, as an extension of that client's own team. The provider handles recruitment, employment and administration, while the client directs the work.
Choose an assessment when you need a decision or a roadmap, a fixed scope project when the work is clearly defined, time and materials when requirements will change, a dedicated team for a long roadmap, and ongoing support and advisory for live systems or part time senior advice.
Cost depends on scope, complexity, the team required and the model. Every engagement starts with a written proposal that sets out scope, team, timeline and cost before any work begins.
Yes. Assessments are fixed scope, and proofs of concept and MVPs can be delivered as fixed scope projects, so you can prove value before committing to a larger build or team.
Yes. When the work changes, the model can change with it, for example from a fixed scope MVP to a dedicated product team. Any change of model is agreed in writing.
You do. Source code, documentation and intellectual property created for a client transfer to that client on completion and payment.
Describe the work and your constraints. We will recommend a model and explain the trade offs in writing.
